Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 10, 1994 TAG: 9402100236
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Bill West, the town's planning director for almost a decade, will take a job as a planning division director for Anderson County in South Carolina.
Mary Kemp, who started out as a part-time accounting clerk with Blacksburg Transit 10 years ago and became finance director in 1989, will take her title to Herndon in Fairfax County.
The resignations were not connected, Town Manager Ron Secrist said, although "the timing is such that it's kind of unique." He said duties fulfilled by the two long-time staffers wouldn't be interrupted while he searches for replacements.
"There are some excellent people to assure that the responsibilities" are carried out, Secrist said.
Last October, West was forced into a new, temporary position in Secrist's office called "special projects coordinator," when the town's Planning Department and Public Works Department were merged.
A re-evaluation of West's role was planned for later this month, Secrist said. And although the town manager maintained that West was not forced out of a job here, the reassignment may have contributed to his search for employment elsewhere.
"I think Bill felt he wanted to be a director of a department," Secrist said. "I'm very happy for Bill. I think that it's an excellent professional challenge for him."
West heads to Anderson County, with a population of almost 150,000 to oversee planning, building and codes, and parks and recreation, among other things, he said.
He will be paid $44,000 a year in what he sees as a lateral move on the career ladder.
"One of the things that really intrigued me about it is it's a growth area with a lot of things happening," West said. "There's a little more action, maybe."
Anderson County has no zoning, but is considering it, he said. "I've got a lot of experience on that subject. I can certainly help them weigh the alternatives.
"I've been working in Blacksburg for 10 years," said West, 45. "... I thought maybe it was time to take a look and make some changes."
For Kemp, 40, who climbed the ladder to her current position, the decision to move to Herndon was a personal one.
She's been in a relationship with someone in Northern Virginia, and has spent a lot of time commuting, she said.
"I can tell you every exit of [Interstate] 81," she said. "This is an opportunity to have my personal life and my professional life in the same place."
The job also will allow her to move up in salary from $44,000 to $58,000 a year, and be around projects like the proposed Disney theme park and planned expansion of Dulles International Airport, both near Herndon, she said.
"If I didn't grab this when it was here, I don't know when I'd have another chance," she said.
"Herndon's gain is Blacksburg's loss," Secrist said. "She's done an outstanding job. She's presided over a department and community that's known for its fiscal integrity."
Secrist said the two resignations came as no surprise. "I knew when they were going for interviews; I knew when they were being considered," he said.
And rather than seeing their departures as a sign of possible turmoil in the town departments, he said he views them as "a sign that there's some pretty talented people that work in Blacksburg."
West will leave Blacksburg March 3, with Kemp departing the following day. Secrist said replacements would be sought from within and outside the departments, although he did not know how long it would take to hire them.
by CNB